476452 Sat Jan 05 13:32:38 -0800 2008 5 29 Not About Food 0 3264525 Ok, this is a loaded question (well to me since I would just put my gift card towards the table check and split it down the middle.) So, I hope I phrase this properly! I bought a bunch of friends $25 dining out cards from restaurant .com for xmas. One of my girlfriends was especially ecstatic with the gift since she is on a tight budget! Now she can do a few girls night out with her friends and enjoy a few places she always wanted to try! However, she asked me how does she go about tipping & splitting the tab just off of her meal? The tab will be all together since the gift card says for 2 or more entrees! is there a tipping scale to figure this out if you have your own gift card? She already planned dinner for a party of 3 this week and another dinner date for party of 2,then the following week a party of 4! Yikes, Im clueless and feel bad that she's soo stressed out about figuring out her cut and not looking cheap ! Please help me hep her feel assured that everything is fair at their meals! TIA Sat Jan 05 13:32:38 -0800 2008 50373 vipfitness 1 3264561 Tipping should be based on full price of the meal (tab before gift card discount). If it was a straight gift card (no '2 or more entree' qualifier), I would say to apply the gift card to her portion of the tab. Since the additional entree enables her to use the gift card, I'd apply it to the total tab and then divide the balance accordingly. Sat Jan 05 13:45:43 -0800 2008 3264525 11990 Janet from Richmond 1 3264600 I, too, would (and have) applied the certificate to the total bill and equally divide the difference. But in answer to your question, your friend's group should look at the total before the certificate is applied. Then your friend applies the certificate to her share and pays what she owes. If her share is less than $25, I assume she would allow her friends to take the benefit of what she has not used, and her friends split the remainder. They should tip on the total before the certificate and all members of the party should divide the tip. I guess I am assuming that the friends are taking the divide by the members of the party approach, but it would work even if you calculate each friend's share individually. Sat Jan 05 13:54:27 -0800 2008 3264525 18970 Val55 1 3266993 ooh that sounds simple,think I can explain this one to her: tell her to just split the tab from the total bill with 20% tip factored in and use her gift card towards that and kick in more if needed or the remainder goes to check right? Sun Jan 06 11:59:47 -0800 2008 3264525 50373 vipfitness 1 3268897 Restaurant.com is *not* a restaurant gift card, it's essentially a promotional coupon obtained for a nominal amount (most likely $10 or less) with restrictions similar to what you'd find in Pennysaver-type clipped coupons. In a friendly group dining situation, I'd treat it as I would any promotional coupon--take it off the top (including an appropriate tip on the full amount) so everyone can share in the discount--i.e. create the amount to be split evenly AFTER applying the discount. If this were a true restaurant gift card (unrestricted use, for which someone paid dollar-for-dollar), I'd treat it same-as-cash, used exclusively to cover your share after the split is determined. Mon Jan 07 06:02:26 -0800 2008 3264525 12051 tubman 2 3275537 Thanks for your reply tubman! I did not know that restaurant .com was a promotional coupon! I purchased a bunch for the holidays for my friends who like to try new places! http://gift.restaurant.com/ Tue Jan 08 17:23:11 -0800 2008 3268897 50373 vipfitness